Lomé, Togo, July 30, 2018 —IFC, a member
of the World Bank Group, today announced support for the implementation
of Togo’s National Electrification Strategy aimed at achieving universal
access to modern energy services by 2030. The strategy provides a roadmap
for overcoming obstacles to extending Togo’s national grid and creating
alternatives to it, especially to remote regions. It also promotes delivering
commercially viable business models that mobilize private sector investment,
encouraging public-private partnerships, and prioritizing where government
funding and blended finance tools can best be channeled.
Today only about 40 percent of the population in Togo has access to electricity,
and among the rural population that figure is below 10 percent. The new
strategic initiative was endorsed at a high-level meeting in June led by
Togo’s Prime Minister Komi Sélom Klassou. Further international support
was provided by Ségolène Royal, Special Envoy of the President of the French
Republic for the International Solar Alliance.
Low demand in many parts of the country limits the cost effectiveness of
grid expansion. In response, Togo has already started implementing a new
approach to increasing energy access. In a program begun last year, installation
of 300,000 solar home systems by private companies is underway and is expected
to be completed by 2022. The National Electrification Strategy will target
connecting all of Togo’s 1.3 million unelectrified households over the
next 12 years using a combination of technologies and innovative business
models.
Ronke-Amoni Ogunsulire, IFC Country Manager, said, “Togo’s vision for
universal energy access is a first in Africa given its focus on both off-grid
solutions and on leveraging the private sector. It allows government to
identify areas with high potential for mini-grids and solar home systems,
to put in place the necessary enabling environment to attract top-tier
energy access players to the country and thereby create new markets in
Togo.”
A regulatory reform initiative is currently underway and is expected to
lead to a pilot auction that aims to have 60 solar mini-grids operational
by the end of 2020—resulting in 10,000 new connections---through a flagship
public private partnership that can be expanded in subsequent years.
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About IFC
IFC—a sister organization of the World Bank and member of the World Bank
Group—is the largest global development institution focused on the private
sector in emerging markets. We work with more than 2,000 businesses worldwide,
using our capital, expertise, and influence to create markets and opportunities
in the toughest areas of the world. In fiscal year 2018, we delivered more
than $23 billion in long-term financing for developing countries, leveraging
the power of the private sector to end extreme poverty and boost shared
prosperity. For more information, visit www.ifc.org
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